“Ernst, the pictures are absolutely beautiful! Thank you so much for everything that you have done for us. You really did a spectacular job! We are forever grateful for these precious memories that you have provided for us!” Jacalyn & Joshua

“We wanted to thank you for the gallery link. We did just as you said and viewed all the pictures with a nice glass of wine. We really can not thank you enough for capturing our day. You really captured every moment and we love all the pictures. Everyone we have shown has had nothing but great comments to say about the pictures. It was so great to work with you. You made everything so easy for us.” Mary & Matthew

"We can’t thank Ernst enough for doing an amazing job on our photos! He kept in contact with us before the wedding making sure we got exactly what we wanted. He was very organized and kept us all on track throughout the day. He was very engaged and captured pictures of the guest at the wedding reception-Everyone LOVED these photos. We feel he went above and beyond to make our day perfect! We can’t thank you enough!"

MEDINAH COUNTRY CLUB - "Looking back, I cannot imagine our wedding day without Ernst being a part of it. He's so incredibly professional, all the while having a comforting calm about him. He's a very quiet force, always hiding in nooks, bushes, trees, hallways, and corners... capturing the moments you didn't even know happened until you see them on film. Words cannot describe all emotions felt when looking at the sneak peek blog post, the full gallery, and now receiving the USB drive. We laughed hysterically, cried, smiled, and reminisced from start to finish, thoroughly absorbing they day for what it was through his eyes and everyone around us. I am unbelievably grateful that we chose Ernst to tell our story. The man with the camera is pure magic." Kara & Jason

"Ernst, I could not thank you enough for all you did for us on Saturday. You were excellent. You made us feel comfortable and half the time I didn't even know you were taking pictures! My parents, Collin's parents, and our bridal party haven't stopped commenting on how great you were, and I just wanted to let you know that. We can't wait to see the pictures!" UPDATE :) "I literally am crying! I absolutely love them. I can't stop looking at them! They are beautiful. Thank you so much!" Audrey"

"Ernst, the pictures look amazing! I also wanted to pass long the many compliments our guests/family gave. They thought you did a tremendous job and you were beyond helpful for us throughout the day.
Thank you from both of us for making our day so memorable!" Chris & Danielle

“I cannot thank Ernst enough for the beautiful photos of our wedding! We were overwhelmed with the quality of the photos. His professionalism is top-notch and he responded quickly to all of our emails. As for the wedding day, Ernst was extremely laid back and made us both feel comfortable and relaxed. For two people that hate taking “staged” photos, I was delighted that Ernst captured dozens of photos that looked so natural and really captured the couple that we are. We have so many amazing pictures of all of the people in attendance and it’s such a treasure to have. He really captured all of the best parts of the day!” Chelsea and Gediminas

"Choosing Ernst as our photographer was one of the best decisions we made! He’s not only incredibly talented and professional, but also warm and genuine. He took time to listen to our story and understand what we were looking for with our photographs. We were incredibly impressed that he took the time to attend our rehearsal in order to meet our parents, family and bridal party. And the resulting photos – WOW. We were amazed at how quickly he returned our photos to us, and absolutely thrilled at how they turned out. All the little special candid moments were captured brilliantly; each time we look through our photos it’s like re-living the best day of our lives. We simply cannot say thank you enough!!" Katrina and Alex

"Hi Ernst. I just wanted to thank you again SO much for yesterday. Dylan and I are beyond thankful for you and I cannot wait to see all the pictures! Everyone said how great you were and they were thoroughly impressed. Thank you again from the bottom of our hearts!" Melissa UPDATE: "Hi Ernst, THANK YOU!!! These pictures are beyond amazing! You did such a wonderful job capturing the night! I've shared them with my friends and family already and they are in awe. Thank you again for being such a big part of our special day!!! Love, Melissa and Dylan"

Wow wow WOW! Our wedding photos are fantastic!!! We absolutely love them...thank you so much! Our favorites are the ones we didn't even specifically ask for! The candids and individual couple/family shots at the reception are so incredible!! Thank you, Ernst, for your attention to detail and above and beyond service - we couldn't have asked for a better photographer!!" Morgan & Ryan

"Working with Ernst was a dream. Andrew and I felt so comfortable with his familiar charm and the photographs are absolutely stunning! He is kind, professional, and adaptable. Ernst genuinely cares about your desires and takes the time to make them a reality. The best decision of the day was marrying my true love; the second was having Ernst capture our special day. We are so grateful for the joyous, intimate, and comical moments captured for us to enjoy the rest of our lives, especially knowing they were handled with great care." Holly & Andrew

"Ernst has definitely exceeded our expectations. He is so easy to work with, very organized, gave us so many helpful suggestions and recommendations, such a gentleman, and he is so relaxed and calm (which is what you want on your big day!). Our pictures are absolutely beautiful. They are very natural looking, the lighting is perfect, and candid! I told him I didn't want anything to look posed or fake, and he assured me that's not the look he goes for. He was certainly right. They are perfect. Ernst worked so hard to make sure that everything ran smoothly, to make everyone feel comfortable, he knew all of the family members names I gave him for our photo timeline, and he just has an eye for detail. I would totally recommend him to anyone, and already have people asking who took my pictures! His hard work did not go unnocticed and we are forever grateful to have had him be our photographer. Thank you, Ernst!" Lexi and Ben.

CHICAGO WEDDING - "Ernst! They're amazing, we absolutely love them :) :) You did a wonderful job, we couldn't be more pleased. You really were diligent in making sure everything and everybody was included. The church pics are stunning, the outdoor pics are awesome, and the reception pictures are so fun. Really, couldn't be happier!!" Kate and Algis

VICTORIA ROSEMONT BANQUET / CHICAGO - "We highly recommend Ernst Jacobsen's services. We were extremely impressed with his skills and professionalism. Not a moment was missed and each image can stand alone as a work of art. Since our wedding was in the winter, having a photographer who could manage location lighting and was a priority. We were very impressed with his vision and technical skills for scenarios with difficult lighting. The resulting images we will cherish for a lifetime, they are just stunning. Ernst and Barbara captured our wedding day with a unique visual storytelling style combined with beautifully composed posed images. We are very grateful they were able to capture our special day." Patricia & Luis

"Thank you for all your hard work in taking these photos and getting them to us so soon! It was a great day for both Catherine and me and we appreciate the care you put into creating such a quality set of photographs for us to remember it by. Thank you so much the the drive and the prints - they are wonderful!" Catherine & Isthier

“Having worked with a wide array of photographers when planning events, I am used to seeing the standard catalog of lovely images post-fête. Weddings are, at first glance, not the most challenging of subjects- everyone is happy, all are dressed to the nines and, thanks to the cocktails, entertaining poses abound. What makes a photographer great, in my opinion, is his or her ability to capture the moments of authenticity- the fleeting glances, the subtle graceful gestures, the raw exchanges. A great photographer's images take you by the eye and lead you back into the scene. They make you feel.
Such is the photographer I found Ernst Jacobsen to be as I scrolled through the images he took of a wedding I recently attended. The venue was intimate, a steakhouse bathed in moody hues with 120 people meandering about the bar and front room. An unassuming man in person, Ernst's presence was hard to detect. While a few sightings of a man with a camera let me know that there was, in fact, a photog present, I can't seem to recall ever seeing him front and center in the 'big ticket' moments of the day. Thus I was stunned to see the result of his work- the photographs are testament to the fact that he was everywhere all at once, shooting every detail. In one, he is behind me as I toast the newlyweds, their faces beaming from across the room. In the next, he is behind them, capturing my fellow toaster from across the stage. Should I run into Ernst again, I will check his shoes for pointy ends with little bells that signify some sort of magical transport ability. I simply don't know how he did it.
If you go to his site, click on "Jennifer and Mike" under "Recent Events" to see what I mean. Scroll down a bit and you will find my favorite- the bride glancing back at her mother holding her infant daughter during the vows, with the baby looking directly at the camera. Powerful, touching and poignant. Realize, as you glance at the series showing the ceremony, how many angles are captured- and that one man did all of that alone. It is extraordinary.:

Above and beyond. Those are the words that best describe Ernst. The small details and extra effort he puts into his work shows from start to finish. Ernst has such an amazing talent for capturing ‘moments’ which is exactly what you want on your wedding day. It’s not the formal photos that remind you how great your day was – it’s the natural fun and excitement that is so important to be documented. Ernst’s ability not to miss a moment is incredible, and his energy and true passion comes across in the photos. He is able to blend in so well that your guests literally will not realize they’re being photographed. I have beautiful angles that I never dreamed possible. He was always willing to give as much advice as we needed, but was never pushy. I have already recommended my fiancé friends to look into hiring Ernst because of the over the top work he did for us. We hope we have the opportunity to work with him again in the future. We HIGHLY recommend Ernst.

“Ernst was amazing. By the end of our wedding we felt as if he was family. We really connected to him and appreciated how hard he worked. Ernst captured moments that happened in a flash. The pictures turned out wonderful and he was positive about everything. A+ for Ernst” Samantha and Jennifer

“My wedding photos turned out so beautiful and professional. Ernst provided us with many options in the creation of our wedding album, and worked very hard to meet our every request. We made a great decision in choosing Ernst. He is easy to work with, flexible and produced photos with a magical quality to them I can’t really describe.” Kannika and Hans

“Ernst went above and beyond in every facet of our wedding. We worked with several vendors in order to put on our wedding, and Ernst was by far the easiest to work with. He always was quick to answer any questions and was on top of everything from start to finish. He was very flexible with times to meet up and made us feel like he would be anywhere and do anything to make our wedding day perfect. Ernst does his homework and it showed. We truly feel as if there was nothing more we could have asked for from him and we feel like we got it all for a reasonable price. Ernst was a pleasure to work with and made our wedding day truly special and has provided us with beautiful photos that will allow us to remember that special day for years to come.
It is great knowing that you have someone you can trust to capture your wedding day, who does a fantastic job." Paul & Mary

"I think the photos are just wonderful. There are so many good ones, I can't pick a favorite. Thank you so much for your attention to detail.
We are so excited to get the USB, and are already sharing the link with family and friends." Amy and Josh

“Ernst did an outstanding job in capturing every aspect of our wedding and reception. Under very hot and humid weather, Ernst captured wonderful pics from different angles. The editing work is fantastic, and we can tell he really spent the time to edit each picture. He is a really nice guy and very professional! ” Alina and Julian

"Ernst was everything I was looking for in a wedding photographer! He was so professional, helpful, and sweet! Everyone mentioned how great he was, and the photos turned out beautiful. I really wanted not only great pictures of my husband and me, but also candids of the day and our loved ones there. As promised, his photographs tell a beautiful story of the day."
Kirstin and Andrew

"We seriously love all of them. You captured Dustin and I perfectly! Thank you so much for providing us with such quality photos that will bring us joy for the rest of our marriage and lives together." Vanessa & Dustin

"We discovered Ernst when we attended our friends' wedding a whole year before we even got engaged. He took such lovely photos of the whole event, including several posed and candid photos of us enjoying the festivities. We had Ernst's photos on our fridge before we'd even starting talking about getting married! He was professional, kind, and extremely organized. Our photos turned out just beautiful, and we were so excited to see the intimate, funny, and touching moments he captured (somehow without us even noticing him!). He had our 1,000+ photos edited and to us within 4 weeks of our big day. We sprung for a hard bound, color album as part of our package as well. Ernst chooses his favorite photos to tell the story of the day (and you get a chance to add or change things). Our friends have one, and it is gorgeous. Excited to see ours. Go check out his online galleries!" Bevin & Alexander

“The pictures you took for our three day wedding were wonderful! I don’t know how you did it, but you were always there at the all the right moments! The photographer was one thing I didn’t have to worry about during the wedding planning process. Thanks again for your professionalism, enthusiasm, and great pictures!” Trina and Justin

DAVIS LODGE - "Ernst is, simply stated, the very best photographer you can hire. He goes above and beyond to give you amazing memories of your big day. Our pictures aren't just your typical staged shots (which he also does REALLY well), but actual moments with joy and love. As far as photo quality, I'm sure I'm biased, but ours are the most crystal clear I've seen. There are no showy filters or flashy effect editing to hide an overall lack of quality like I see so often anymore, just crystal clear perfectly lit and captured shots. Ernst is the absolute best choice for capturing your big day." Maggie and Ben

DOUBLETREE HOTEL - “I LOVE THEM. Thank you soooooooooo much for doing our wedding. I am so glad we asked YOU to do Kristy and Nate’s wedding!!! If/when my other daughter gets married I plan to hire Ernst!!! Cindy (Mother of Bride)

ILLINOIS STATE UNIVERSITY HANCOCK STADIUM CLUB- Thank you, Ernst! The pictures look great! Thank you again for being an AMAZING photographer. You were incredibly helpful and so easy to work with. You helped make our day so lovely and wonderful and we are very grateful you were with us on such an important day. We enjoyed having you as part of the Berg Wedding team! :) Ashley and Dan

EPIPHANY CHURCH & BONE STUDENT CENTER - "For those engaged couples looking for a photographer for the big day, look no further than Ernst Jacobson. Through the entire wedding experience, Ernst was timely, organized and professional. It may seem simple, but something I noticed about Ernst from the start is he remembered everyone’s name the first time from parents and grandparents to the entire wedding party. It really made the group photos a seamless process. Some of our favorite photos were the action ones that really bring us back to the fun we had in the moment during our bar crawl and reception. Additionally, Ernst does a great job getting photos of all of the guests at the wedding. Even after the wedding, the exceptional service doesn’t stop. Within a month the photos were ready digitally and soon after that we received a personalized USB giving us the rights to all of the photographs. Speaking for our families, we could not recommend Ernst more!" Megan & Shannon

ILLINI STUDENT UNION BALLROOM - "Selecting a high quality photographer was very important to us and we could not have been happier with our choice. Ernst's style of photography was exactly what we wanted and he was so easy to work with." Jennifer and Levi

CRESTWICKE COUNTRY CLUB - “Having Ernst as my wedding photographer was a blessing. Ernst kept the entire day running smoothly, and was excellent in time management and scheduling even before the big day. It definitely helped keep the day going along smoothly, I didn’t have to worry about anything as Ernst was prompt and efficient with organized photographs and timing of events. The best of all is he was wonderful to work with, easy to contact and very thorough in capturing the moment during my wedding! The photos were beautiful and many memorable moments were captured, looking through the photos brings back vivid memories of the celebration with friends and family. :) I would highly recommend Ernst as a photographer for any occasion; his work is beautiful and he is very professional, a true blessing during my wedding to work with!” Hannah & Kasey

BLOOMINGTON CENTER FOR PERFORMING ARTS - "Ernst's pictures are gorgeous ... he captured so many moments on film, and I didn’t even know he was there for some of them. Both Trent and I are so pleased with how our wedding pictures turned out. Ernst, thank you so much for giving us the opportunity to relive our wedding day through your pictures!” Molly and Trent

AMVETS 64 PEORIA - "Ernst is one of the kindest, most laid back people you could hope to meet. After our ‘big day’ came and went and we were able to preview our photos I could not have been happier! Every single photo is gorgeous and will be treasured for the rest of my life. Ernst’s style is unique. He sees things from a different perspective and each one of his photos comes alive with pure joy. Unless you are looking for “traditional” wedding photos I promise you will not be disappointed with Ernst or his work!” Amanda and Paul

WILDLIFE PRAIRIE PARK / PEORIA - "I don't think there are enough words to say how amazing of a photographer Ernst is. Ernst had recently captured a wedding I was at, and the bride had nothing but rave reviews about him. His response time was amazing- he ALWAYS responded promptly, professionally, and politely.
Ernst quickly realized how loud, silly, and obnoxious we all were- and he couldn't have captured that any better. He captured every moment I could have ever asked for. He captured the raw emotion of our guests, from laughing to crying to everything in between. We wanted our photographs to remind us of the events, the people, the feelings of that day- and that's EXACTLY what Ernst's talent delivered.
Not to mention he turned the photographs around in two weeks....865 or so photos all edited and gorgeous, in two weeks. Amazing! I even had a little wardrobe malfunction and Ernst gladly went back and touched up the photos for me. Plus he sent us a customized USB drive in a cute little box, both of which had a photo from our wedding on them.
Please, if you are considering Ernst as a photographer- DO IT! He was so fun and easy to work with! Thank you Ernst!!" Amanda and Troy

COYOTE CREEK COUNTRY CLUB - "Words cannot begin to express how pleased we were with choosing Ernst as our photographer. His style was a perfect fit for what we were looking for - a focus on capturing the candid moments and real emotions and doing so in a beautiful manner. We were blown away with how wonderful our photos looked and how many little moments he captured. He met up with my bridesmaids and me at the hair salon at noon and stayed up until the end of our reception at 10 pm and worked like crazy the entire time. We were a very energetic bunch on the dance floor and he didn't miss a beat. We were pleased to see a nice mix of pictures of all of our wedding guests enjoying themselves - we are very excited to share the wonderful couples and group photos he took of everyone! You know you had a phenomenal photographer when the details of your wedding dress look better in the pictures than you remember them being in person! I would highly recommend Ernst to anyone!" Jessica and Brad

HOTEL MONACO / CHICAGO - “Thank you so much for being so great on our wedding day. You have been lovely to work with! We appreciate all the great work you did to help capture our day and our special memories." Christina & Rob

TIMBER POINTE LODGE - "Ernst was AWESOME! We could NOT have asked for a better photographer! He was very accommodating and went out of his way to make our day perfect! Our Engagement Pictures are amazing and our Wedding Pictures are phenomenal! Our Wedding Day was full of fun surprises and unique experiences; he managed to catch every breath taking moment! His ability to capture our day blew us away! We highly recommend Ernst!" Liz & Matt

PROVEN GROUNDS FARM - “My favorite vendor of my wedding! Ernst exhibits an ideal balance between being personable and professional. He honored our personalities and quirks, accommodated our requests, worked around our hitches, and all the while he crafted his art beautifully. He was very respectful of our vision but equally confident to collaborate when his expertise vivified it. I would recommend Ernst’s care and skill to anyone. ” Kerry & Benjamin

FUNKS GROVE - “Ernst is a true artist and went above and beyond in his duties as a photographer! His photos are very beautiful and capture natural, candid moments. My husband and I couldn’t be more pleased with how our wedding photos turned out! Thanks Ernst!” Grace and Brad

VROOMAN MANSION - “Ernst has a photojournalistic style which we loved because he captured so many pictures that looked natural and flattering, some that we wouldn’t have even thought to have him take. We would highly recommend him.” Karen and Joe

CHARLESTON IL FARM - “Thank you!!! This sneak peek looks great….we love them!!! What a fun time….and you captured it so well! We love the box it came in and the USB itself!!!! ” Liz and Megan

EWING MANOR - “We absolutely love our pictures and couldn’t be happier! The style is exactly what we were hoping for, and we have so many good pictures we don’t know where to begin. Thanks for being so kind, gracious, and easy to work with, and for giving us such fantastic memories of our day!” Kim and Greg

VROOMAN MANSION - "Ernst photographed my wedding in 2014 and did a truly incredible job. He was seemingly everywhere at once, capturing memorable photos of all of the guests at their best. Many people commented that he seemed to really be focused on them during the reception, but it seems that he's just so good at his job that every person felt like they were in the spotlight when he spent equal time with all of them. I loved that the guests felt flattered and comfortable with him photographing them."